Loretta Lynn, Country Music Icon and 'Coal Miner's Daughter' Singer, Dead at 90

Acclaimed country music icon Loretta Lynn, who scored over a dozen no. 1 hit singles and sold more than 45 million albums worldwide during her six-decade career, has died. She was 90.

The beloved singer-songwriter died of natural causes on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, her family said in a statement to Entertainment Tonight. She was "surrounded by her loving family" at the time of her death. 

"Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home at her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills," the family said, asking for privacy while they take time to grieve. 

They noted that an announcement regarding a memorial will be forthcoming. 

Lynn was born on April 14, 1932, in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky. Her father, Ted Webb, was a coal miner, and growing up as his eldest daughter inspired her iconic 1969 tune, "Coal Miner's Daughter" and her 1976 autobiography of the same name. 

The book was later adapted into the acclaimed 1980 biographical film, in which Lynn was portrayed by Sissy Spacek, who won an Oscar for her performance.

In 1948, she married talent manager Oliver "Doolittle" Lynn, and their passionate, tumultuous, complicated relationship would eventually provide the fodder and inspiration for many of her biggest and most celebrated songs.

Lynn released her debut single, "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl," in 1960, and she made a name for herself with her talented vocals as well as her now-legendary persistence in promoting her music.

Lynn's debut studio album came three years later, when Decca Records released Loretta Lynn Sings. She would release 13 more albums during the 1960s, scoring her first RIAA-certified gold record with the 1967 album Don't Come Home a Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind).

As she developed her sound and her career, Lynn became a groundbreaking musician, often tackling topics that were previously unaddressed, especially in the world of country music. 

Writing and recording songs about birth control, sexuality, inequality and the war in Vietnam cemented her place in the pantheon of music's greatest and most influential artists, but it also meant facing opposition in the form of radio stations refusing to play her music and critics attacking and slamming her and her art. Nevertheless, she persisted.

Forging ahead as a pioneer in the genre, Lynn cultivated a passionate fandom, and through her amazing voice, insightful and emotional songs and unbridled determination established a nearly unparalleled career.

Lynn amassed a whopping 51 Top 10 songs in her career, releasing 54 studio albums and an additional 15 compilation albums. Among her biggest hits: "You Ain't Woman Enough (to Take My Man)," "Fist City," One's on the Way," "Dear Uncle Sam" and "One's on the Way." 

Lynn's list of accolades and awards runs nearly as long as her impressive discography. She holds a place in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and she has been a member of the prestigious Grande Ole Opry since 1962, just two years after she made her debut performance on the theater's hallowed stage.

In 2010, she took home her fourth GRAMMY when she was honored with the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award. That same year, President Barack Obama bestowed upon her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.

Lynn, who became a widow in 1996 when her husband of nearly 50 years died of heart failure -- is survived by four children -- Ernest, Clara, Peggy Jean and Patsy Eileen -- as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Lynn outlived her eldest daughter, Betty Sue, who died in 2013 at the age of 63, as well as her eldest son, Jack, who died at age 34 in 1984.

ET spoke with Lynn in 2016, as she prepared for the release of Full Circle, her first album in 12 years, and she joked about the importance of her tireless work ethic in creating the career that she'd come to enjoy.

"I probably worked harder than anyone in the business," she said at the time. "I worked harder than all of them, to tell you the truth. People today are too daggone lazy to do these kinds of things."

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